And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder
One of the four beasts saying,
'Come and see.' and I saw.
***
One of the four beasts saying,
'Come and see.' and I saw.
***
Somehow, the three of them together again put Raymond at ease even here amongst the volatile god-magics. Rarely did he find himself fearful or without a plan of attack, but there is an assurance here in their presence that a victory greater than simple survival might be possible, that free will and the tenacity of mortal races may yet triumph as they had before.
Calliope had faced gods toe to toe. Shrike had defied death itself. And Raymond...well, if you asked him, he would have freely admitted to being the weakest of the the trinity, but at the very least he had a cockroach's outlook on survival. There was no crack he couldn't squeeze into, no den of filth and iniquity into which he couldn't waltz with the confidence of utmost belonging.
Their individual differences fortified the whole; anyone, god or mortal, would be right to worry.
"I am not concerned about the gods so much as I am about their followers," Raymond mused. In his experience, gods were predictable. With all their great power they tended to color inside a well-defined set of lines. But their presence would inspire zealotry, and even good people could perpetrate great evils for the love and adoration of their patron deity.
In such a highly political atmosphere as Novus, emotions criss-crossed the kingdoms like exposed nerves as it was. Throw a god into the mix, and you've got a powder keg.
"This land is rife with tension as it is. I doubt the presence of their mascots will make any of that better." He nodded contentedly at Shrike. "From what I've been able to hear, trouble may come from somewhere in the east."
Calliope had faced gods toe to toe. Shrike had defied death itself. And Raymond...well, if you asked him, he would have freely admitted to being the weakest of the the trinity, but at the very least he had a cockroach's outlook on survival. There was no crack he couldn't squeeze into, no den of filth and iniquity into which he couldn't waltz with the confidence of utmost belonging.
Their individual differences fortified the whole; anyone, god or mortal, would be right to worry.
"I am not concerned about the gods so much as I am about their followers," Raymond mused. In his experience, gods were predictable. With all their great power they tended to color inside a well-defined set of lines. But their presence would inspire zealotry, and even good people could perpetrate great evils for the love and adoration of their patron deity.
In such a highly political atmosphere as Novus, emotions criss-crossed the kingdoms like exposed nerves as it was. Throw a god into the mix, and you've got a powder keg.
"This land is rife with tension as it is. I doubt the presence of their mascots will make any of that better." He nodded contentedly at Shrike. "From what I've been able to hear, trouble may come from somewhere in the east."
***
Raymond
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crowns
When the man comes around.
Raymond
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crowns
When the man comes around.
@Shrike @Calliope
aut viam inveniam aut faciam
